Titanium Dioxide is a pigment marketed in rutile or anatase crystal forms. The rutile form is the main driver, with approximately 90% of the market compared with 10% for the anatase form. The different properties of the two forms mean that they are often preferred for different applications. Coatings, plastics and decorative laminates are the main markets associated with rutile form pigment. Rutile form pigments can be produced via the sulphate process using sulphuric acid or the chloride process using chlorine.
The chloride process is more expensive and is mostly used in the US. In Europe, around 70% of the market uses the sulphate process and only about 30% (mainly in Western Europe) uses the chloride process. In the lower cost, and generally lower priced anatase sector, paper is the main application, but other end-uses include food and cosmetics.
The main end-use industries are split as follows: paints (57-60%), plastics (20-22%) and paper (10-12%). The properties of titanium dioxide that lend themselves to these industries are its brightness, whiteness and opacity. There is little differentiation in end-use markets according to the production route employed, the main one being that printing inks applications prefer pigment produced through the sulphate process. The anatase crystal form can only be produced via the sulphate process.
To find out more Titanium Dioxide Methodology March 2013